Secret of the Nightwings
by Hero-of-Winds
Summary: Post-FE 10. The Greil Mercenaries are hired by Tibarn to help stave off the ire of a previously unknown tribe of laguz: the owls. But once caught in the war, the mercenaries will find that the owls have a secret that may rewrite the history of the world..
1. Chapter 1: Visitor from Phoenicis

Hey there. I know it's been a while since anyone has read any of my work. I've started to lose a lot of interest in the Sonic fandom, and have turned that interest toward Fire Emblem, particularly _Path of Radiance _and _Radiant Dawn_. If you want to understand what this story is about, I suggest you read up on the plots of _Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance _and _Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn_. For those who have played those games, I will clarify a few terms I will use in this, and possibly later fics:

- The War of Radiance is my name for the events of _Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn_.

I think that's all for now. On with the show!

* * *

**Chapter 1 **- **Visitor From Phoenicis**

The forest surrounding Greil's Retreat was full of life and the music of nature in the spring after the end of the War of Radiance. Ike and the rest of the Greil Mercenaries, though sorely lacking in the combative contracts that gave them funds, still enjoyed the relaxation they could have that came with the slow, but steady restoration of peace across Tellius. The payment by Empress Sanaki was vast, and was quite enough for them to not need work for several years.

But one morning, a new job came their way…

"Ike!" Mist called out from outside the front door to the main keep, that lazy afternoon "We have a visitor!" The blue-haired beorc, woken from a nap that had lasted since breakfast, grunted and rolled off the hammock in his chamber. Stepping outside into the sunlight, he found himself inches from a familiar face. It was Janaff, the boyish and telescopic-sighted hawk who served as the hawk king's "eyes". His normal cheerful face was quite dour, an expression usually worn by his fellow hawk Ulki.

"Janaff, good to see you," Ike said after a long, loud yawn. "What brings you all the way from Phoenicis? Surely you must have other business than a simple hello." The hawk laguz nodded to confirm Ike's assumption.

"It's about a job," Janaff answered, "a very important job."

"You do know we don't work for free," Ike replied while he rubbed his eyes. "Let's go inside so we can go over the details. Soren will help work out what will be needed in terms of expenses." With that, Ike turned around and headed for the main part of the keep, where he knew Soren would be, with Janaff and Mist close behind.

When Ike opened the door to the main area, he was suddenly met with the blade of a hand axe whizzing toward him. The blade struck the doorframe, merely inches from Ike's ear. After regaining his bearings, he saw Soren, his tactician and Archsage, and Boyd, the mercenaries' resident Reaver.

"Damn it, Soren, haven't you heard of privacy?!" the green-haired, muscular warrior roared at the small, raven-haired, white-robed mage. The former was completely naked, save for his nether regions covered by a bed sheet, and his face was cherry red with fury. Soren quickly hid behind the large body of Ike, hoping to avoid the wrath of the enraged Reaver.

"How was I supposed to know that you did something like that?" Soren replied somewhat meekly, unable to come with a retort sharper than a hand axe. Boyd huffed at the mage before slamming the door to his room with a thunderous bang.

"Soren…" Mist said slowly; she still felt very awkward from suddenly seeing Boyd in nothing but his birthday suit and a sheet. "We were looking for you…and why were you spying on Boyd?" The mage simply replied with a slow head shake. Mist swallowed nervously, as she seemed to realize what Soren meant.

"Yes, we have been looking you," Ike replied, also recovering from the awkward feeling of seeing Boyd nearly naked. "Janaff is here about a job, and we need you to help hammer out the details." Soren smoothed out his robes and sat down at the rectangular wooden table in the center of the room.

"Should we bring Titania in, Ike?" Soren asked.

"Horse riders like her won't be any help for this job," Janaff quickly answered as he squatted on a nearby stool.

"Well, tell us what you need us for;" Ike replied. Janaff cleared his throat as he began the story of Phoenicis' latest trouble.

"I doubt anyone has told you, but there is another tribe of bird laguz besides the hawks, ravens and herons...the owl tribe. They…"

"…An owl tribe?" Mist chimed in. "Sounds neat!"

"Don't interrupt, Mist," Soren scolded her. "Do continue, Janaff."

"Anyway, there have always been issues between the hawk tribe and the owl tribe, but it looks like there will be open hostilities."

"Let me guess," Ike replied decisively; "You want us to help stop the war before it starts, right?"

"It's kind of late for that, Ike," the hawk replied with a shake of his head. "The owls have been staging night raids on various villages, wrecking homes and stealing food, all for a few months now. We've been lucky so far there have been no civilian casualties. If you recall, almost all of the fighting-able citizens of the Phoenicis were slaughtered during the War of Radiance when Naesala betrayed us. We still outnumber them, but they have us far out-powered."

"What do you mean?" Mist asked. "Are owls that powerful?"

"Let me put it this way..." Janaff said, struggling to think of a good analogy. "Um...oh! You beorcs have generals, halberdiers and swordmasters, right?"

"Something to that effect, yes," Soren said thoughtfully with a nod.

"Well, ravens are like swordmasters, we hawks are like halberdiers…" the hawk continued.

"…And owls are like generals…big, hard to damage and deliver crushing blows;" Ike quickly answered, finishing Janaff's sentence. "And that's by bird laguz standards. They could probably strike more swiftly than a typical beorc swordmaster."

"Yeah, but if you recall, just a few months ago, you defeated Ashera herself," Janaff replied, his more joyful countenance returning. "So, Tibarn figured to ask the Greil Mercenaries to help."

"What kind of numbers do they have?" Soren asked. "We need to know what we're up against."

"From what information we've gathered, typical raiding parties consist of about twenty owls," the hawk king's eyes answered. "So far we've had ten villages ransacked since the attacks began. None of the villages were able to defeat the raiders, and we're sure each one was instigated by a completely different group of owls."

"So that puts a lower limit of two hundred owls…that means we'll need so many weapons…" Soren started to say, before his voice turned to a mutter as his agile mind began making rapid calculations. "Well...for starters, we'll need about forty-five-thousand gold; for weapons, supplies, food, chartering a boat to Phoenicis and whatnot...up front."

"That's a bit steep…" Janaff replied slowly and uneasily, taken aback by Soren's huge price tag, leaning back slightly.

"Soren, they're friends!" Mist protested. "Who do you think you are…Volke?"

"Mist's right," Ike said in agreement. "Besides, don't we have the equivalent of four hundred-thousand gold stockpiled in our safe-house? We can use some of that to charter the ship."

"Fine…thirty-four-thousand up front," Soren said with a sigh.

"…Soren!" Mist cried again in protest.

"Very well…twenty-eight-thousand, and I'll go no lower." Soren said more strongly, his mind obviously made up and unwavering.

"It's still a bit high, but Tibarn is really desperate." Janaff replied with a sigh.

"Very well then," the mage said with a smirk, leaning back in his chair. "We'll draw up the papers once we arrive in Phoenicis."

"Yay! We're going to Phoenicis!" Mist cheered as she stood up from her seat to run off. "I'll go tell everyone!"


	2. Chapter 2: Reunited with Friends

Well, there seems to be some response. I'll keep this gravy train rolling and see where it ends up. In this chapter, we reveal the other Greil Mercenaries who will be joining Ike, Soren and Mist on their mission. On with chapter 2!

* * *

**Chapter 2 - Reunited with Friends**

The party gathered for the trip by Ike was relative small, but powerful nonetheless. In addition to Mist and Soren, four others accompanied their commander.

One was Rolf, the young Sniper for whom this would be his first mission fighting without the guidance of his teacher Shinon. But he had grown throughout the War of Radiance to be a great archer in his own right, and carried one of his mentor's amazing bows, having worn out the one he used to learn archery. Ike knew that if they were going to battle flying laguz, an archer would be most useful.

Another was Mia, the spritely and somewhat brash Trueblade who accompanied Ike into the Tower of Guidance mere months ago. After that battle she always had the holy sword Alondite slung over her back. She and Ike began to form a strong bond thanks to the great fun they had dueling each other almost every day, as well as the innate bond between their two swords, Alondite and Ragnell. Mia was the only member of the mercenaries who could come close to equaling Ike in skill with a sword

The third was Boyd, the great Reaver with whom Ike still shares an informal rivalry. Boyd now carried Urvan, the axe used by Ike's father in battle. Though it was used by Titania inside the Tower of Guidance, she lent it to Boyd, praying that it would keep him safe. Ike knew of Boyd's expertise with crossbows, which were also an effective weapon against flying enemies.

The last was Gatrie, the group's heavily armored Marshall. Gatrie did not accompany Ike into the Tower of Guidance, but Ike knew that Gatrie's might and defensive power would be a great asset for the mission, to combat the physically powerful owls. Unlike the rest of the group, he has at least dabbled in all three major weapon types, though his specialty remained the use of the lance.

* * *

Port Toha: the largest port town in Crimea. Nestled on the edge of that land, it had grown more prosperous thanks to the growing trade with the bird tribes, now that their piracy days had ended. Once a relatively small arrangement of houses and shops, it had grown to the point where only Melior was greater in size; the town managed to straddle the border between Crimea and Gallia, and now had a growing laguz population. Ike and Mist marveled at how much things had changed: the town that once held so much malice toward the laguz now seemed so brotherly: numerous tiger and cat laguz, now unafraid to display their characteristic tails and feline ears, were spotted perusing the goods of beorc merchants, and Mist snickered as a large beorc and a tiger laguz stumbled out of a nearby bar together, both singing a drunken song.

"Wow, things are sure looking up here," the young cleric exclaimed. "I remember the fiasco we got caught in the last time we were here."

"So I've heard from my younger brother," a soft, somewhat cooing voice came from nearby. Mist turned to see the fair-haired, milky-white countenance of one of the heron tribe, in this case Rafiel. Next to him was a large wolf laguz, with a colorful patch over its right eye. In its transformed state, no one could know that it was Nailah, the wolf queen. To most, it would simply be a very large, feral-looking dog.

"Rafiel! Queen Nailah!" Ike exclaimed after he turned to see them. "What brings your royal presences here?" In response, Nailah emitted several growls and barks, vainly attempting to communicate.

"Please excuse Nailah's wolf state…it is merely to elude detection. Though my siblings and I can walk freely throughout Tellius without fear of persecution, few know of the existence of the wolf tribe. As to why we're here, Nailah says that she were approached by Ulki, who entreated that she come to Phoenicis on urgent business. I, being loath to let her go anywhere alone, opted to follow her."

"Funny thing…we were asked by Janaff to come to Phoenicis as well," Ike replied. "We're going to charter a ship. Soren's off doing that now."

"We were looking to charter one for ourselves," the heron answered with pleasant surprise. "May we accompany you?" Ike glanced over at Mist, who nodded rapidly, obvious eager to have more friends along. Rafiel seemed a bit surprised.

"Oh, thank you! I promise that I will not be a burden!" the heron answered elatedly.

* * *

By mid-afternoon, the chartered ship was off on its twenty-five day voyage to Phoenicis. As dinnertime on their first night aboard ship neared, the five male mercenaries, plus the heron, were gathered in the passenger cabin, taking it easy as they waited for dinner. Gatrie and Boyd were relaxing and telling each other dirty jokes; Soren was quietly reading some books; Rolf was napping; and Ike was engaged in an informal philosophical discussion with Rafiel. Mist, Mia and Nailah, meanwhile, were in their own quarters, where Nailah was telling the two girls tales of her kingdom in the desert.

"Wow, you really mean that beorc, laguz and Branded have lived together in peace in Hatari since it was founded?" Mist exclaimed. "How did you manage to do that?"

"It was my great grandmother who founded the nation, after the Great Flood," Nailah corrected her, now in her untransformed state and able to communicate with modern speech. "Hatari's isolation prevented the biases and prejudices that so plagued the rest of Tellius from coming there. We of Hatari believed that aside from ourselves, no one had survived the flood. Therefore, we committed to living in peace together, regardless of how we were born, in order to survive in the new world."

"It must have really been startling when Rafiel appeared," Mist replied.

"Indeed…he was the first outsider to even reach Hatari. We were thankful he was a heron. If it were any other laguz, or even a beorc, we feared prejudice and hatred would pollute the minds of Hatari's residents. But Rafiel proved to be as gentle and as kind as we knew them to be."

"Did you find him personally?" Mia asked as she was cleaning one of her substitute swords with a cloth. "He always follows you around, and says he owes you his life."

"Yes," the wolf queen answered with a nod, closing her eyes as the memory moved to her conscious; "It was during one of my forays into the Desert of Death, to the east of Daein. You see, despite its name, there are plentiful quantities of life and potential food, including succulent fruit from cacti. It was one of my guilty pleasures to, how you beorc say, 'chow down' on those juicy delights. As I was gathering some fruit with one of my vassals, I heard a weak moan from over the next dune. Following the sound, I found Rafiel there, dying of thirst and overheating."

"Wow, he must have looked terrible," Mist said, clasping her hands together tightly, horrified by the thought of Rafiel emaciated and gasping for breath,

"I would have agreed in that time. My vassal and I spared no time in carrying him back to my home in Hatari. There I watched over him, gave him water and cooled his body until I felt he was out of danger. When he came to, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that he was able to fluently speak our language.

"You mean you speak like herons do?" Mia exclaimed. Nailah nodded.

"Yes, the native language of my kingdom is the ancient speech…but, as I was saying, I was relieved to be able to save Rafiel's life. When he awoke, he and I began to talk. Soon I learned of the existence of other nations…of the Serenes clan, of Begnion, of all nations on Tellius, though I received the most details on the Serenes and Begnion. Despite my urging for him to return to his forest home, he was adamant in remaining with me. For twenty-three years he remained with me, but soon he was drawn to some old ruins. There we met Micaiah, Sothe and the Dawn Brigade…and the rest is history."

"Wow, that's quite a story, Your Majesty," Mia quipped as she finished cleaning the weapon. "Say, that reminds me, I overheard in Port Toha's market that Micaiah was recently crowned queen of Daein. Is that true?"

"Yes, it is true. Rafiel and I attended the ceremony, and her first act as queen was to form an alliance with Hatari and build a road through the Desert of Death, so that trade can occur."

"That's wonderful! She seems so kind, so I'm sure she'll be a great queen!" Mist replied, obviously happy about this news. At that moment, the call for dinner sounded throughout the ship.

"Oh boy, it's dinner time!" Mia cheered as she sprang up and bolted out the door.

"Will you sit down with us for dinner?" Mist asked the wolf queen as she stood up to follow Mia. The wolf queen smiled and shook her head.

"I must maintain my disguise for the time being. It wasn't easy for even a revered Serenes heron like Rafiel to charter a boat…what would they think if a wolf laguz were to have come aboard? I shall remain in animal form and eat whatever scraps the sailors give out."

"Must you degrade yourself? You're a queen!" the cleric exclaimed.

"I live a fairly simple existence in Hatari," Nailah replied. "I will not mind." Without another word, Nailah shifted into wolf form and lay down on the floor. Mist sighed, disappointed that she could not talk more with Nailah, departed from the room to join her brother, Rafiel, and the Greil Mercenaries in the passenger's mess hall.

Eighteen days passed without event. The mercenary passengers on the ship were suffering from severe boredom when the dawn of the journey's nineteenth day began with an alarm call…


	3. Chapter 3: The Irate Pirates

Wow, looks like I had a much better attention span for this chapter. Here we get some action. It's been a while since I wrote a battle scene, but hopefully this will cut it for you people. Anyway, here we meet one of my first fan-characters. I'm planning on this fic to be the prequel of a larger one, so expect to see more of this guy in later Fire Emblem fics of mine.

* * *

**Chapter 3 - The Irate Pirates**

The peaceful sounds of the dawn were eclipsed by the sound of an alarm from high up, warning the sailors and passengers of trouble. Soren, who was already up when the alarm sounded, rushed back to the cabin and quickly awoke everyone there by shaking them.

"Get up, all…there's trouble outside," the Archsage said with surprising calm as he shook each person. While Ike, Rolf and Gatrie got up quickly and prepared, Boyd simply flopped his head back onto his pillow.

"Five more minutes, Soren…" Boyd whined.

"Get your rear out of bed, Boyd…that's an order," Ike replied before turning to Soren. "So, Soren, what seems to be the trouble?"

"There were pirates waiting in ambush, on a ship roughly the size of this vessel," Soren A rough estimate gives us about forty pirates. I'm pretty sure we could handle them, though. They'll probably catch our vessel within a few minutes. We should prepare to defend the ship."

"At least they're not crows like last time," Rolf commented as he slipped on the last part of his outfit and grabbed a bow and a quiver of arrows. "They were scary."

"At we're…" Boyd said before letting out a big yawn as he put his own combat outfit, "getting some action. Should we wake the girls, Ike?"

"Knowing old Nailah," Gatrie commented as he clipped on his breastplate, "she'll have heard the alarm and then gotten them up. I just hope they don't put on make-up or anything."

"Rolf, help Gatrie get his armor on." Ike told the young sniper as he picked Ragnell up from the end of his bed. "Boyd, Soren and I will get onto the deck to meet the pirates. And soon as you're done, get outside so you can help.

"Okay, Ike!" Rolf chirped before stepping over to help the Marshall get his hefty armor on. Boyd quickly nabbed Urvan and a tomahawk, while Soren picked up the Rexcalibur book and a Mend staff. Ike only needed the holy sword, and with that, the trio bolted out to the deck, where the gray-bearded captain was frightfully watching the pirates' approach. Soren, quickly realizing that this was a chance for an impromptu discount, approached the mortified sailor.

"So, Captain, if it puts your mind at any ease," Soren began, with a sly tone in his voice, "we're mercenaries, and we'll gladly defend your ship and the goods on board. That is, if you're willing to give us a discount."

"How m-much of a discount?" the sea captain stammered

"I think ninety percent sounds fair."

"Never! Even if the sea were to swallow me alive!" the captain exclaimed.

"Those pirates will be here any minute now…" Soren warned the captain, smirking in a manner that made even Ike uncomfortable.

"You drive a hard bargain, frail one…I'll give back ninety percent of what you paid to charter this here vessel! Just keep those blasted pirates away from my precious goods!"

"We'll defend your ship with all our power," Soren answered, assuming a more pleasant tone before glancing at the approaching pirate vessel and turning back to Ike. "From the looks of things, they'll be boarding via planks…" But before Soren could finish, Nailah, Mist and Mia rushed up to the deck, all prepared for combat.

"Okay, boss, we're here!" Mia chirped. "What's up?"

"It looks we're getting attacked by pirates," Mist answered, a bit uneasily. "And they're probably gonna board any second." Ike nodded, and turned to Soren, who was working out a plan.

"Okay, Ike, Boyd, Mia, you block their path across the planks," Soren said hastily, trying to say as much as he could Mist and I will provide support how we can. Once Rolf and Gatrie get out here, Gatrie can hold Mia's spot, while she attacks from behind him; Nailah can get any that may slip by on ropes or something, and Rolf can help from up in the crow's nest." Nailah acknowledged the plan with a nod, and the other mercenaries seemed to be in agreement with Soren's strategy.

"Alright, we'll go with that," Ike said as he turned to see the pirates laying three planks onto the ship. "Greil Mercenaries, move out!" With that, the plan went into action. As the planks fell, the mercenaries took their positions, their weapons ready to strike down any pirate who came close.

* * *

"…Gold! Treasure! Booty!" cried the pirates as they scurried onto the planks, unaware of the threat in front of their noses. As the first pirate, a heavily scarred and scruffy fellow with a metal hook and an eyepatch, reached the end of the first plank, Mia, grasping her holy sword with two hands, drove the blade into the pirate's belly, then kicked him off the plank and into the ocean below. The next pirate raised his iron axe high to attack Mia, but easily parried the attack and did a pair of slashes across the hapless fellow's chest, then shoved him into the drink as well. Ike, meanwhile, didn't even need two slashes to defeat each part of the tide of pirates. With seeming effortlessness, he cut down sailor after sailor, each once barely able to lay a finger on him. The display of swordsmanship on Ike's part was as beautiful as it was deadly. In the time it took Mia to drop those two pirates, Ike had downed a total of six. Boyd, while his ability with an axe was not as refined as Ike's swordsmanship, was effective, as he slaughtered every pirate that came his way.

Mist watched, and couldn't help but feel a bit sorry for the pirates that her brother and his mercenaries were so hastily killing.

Soren, feeling that his plan was going as he thought, leaned on the healing staff. As he did, the mage noticed a few pirates armed with longbows near the top of the twin mists of the enemy ship. He cursed himself for not anticipating the archers, called out to Ike.

"…Guys! They've got archers! Watch your head!" Soren called out. No sooner did he so when an arrow came whizzing down, nailing Mia in the shoulder as she downed another pirate. Mia let out a yelp of pain and momentarily dropped her guard. This allows the heftier pirates to shove her out of the way, allowing the tide of pirates to pour onto the vessel.

"Arrrrr! Keelhaul them all!" one of the pirates roared as the swarm broke through. "…For the glory of the Cap'n!" The axe-wielding scourges of the sea quickly made a beeline for Soren and Mist. Instinctively, Mist drew her favorite sword, Florete, as one of the pirates neared. But he was quickly cut down by a mighty blow of an axe. Mist looked in the direction of the axe to see Boyd, hefting Urvan and turning to face the next pirate that came his way. Seeing Mia slumped on the floor, she raced over to her to heal her wound.

Suddenly, the door to the men's quarters burst open, and barely a moment after, a pair of arrows whizzed from the doorway, each one burying itself in a pirate's neck. Following the arrows came a fully armored Gatrie, armed with a silver lance and a steel axe. Wasting no time, Gatrie waded into the swarm. Rolf came behind, another two arrows already in firing position.

"Didja miss us?" Gatrie quipped as he ran his lance through a hapless pirate.

"Shut up and fight harder!" Boyd yelled back as he crushed yet another pirate's head with his axe.

"Soren, now would be a good time for one of your spells!" Ike roared to Soren, who had retreated toward the door, having narrowly been missed by a pirate's axe. Ike was fighting hard to hold back a half-dozen pirates, which, even for a man of his caliber, wasn't easy.

"Gimme a minute, will you?!" Soren yelled back as he pulled out the Rexcalibur tome. Hastily, Soren began to chant the words that would call upon the power of the powerful wind spell.

"SOREN!" Ike screamed as he stumbled back to hold off the teeming horde of outlaws.

"HA!" Soren cried as he finished the spell and pointed his finger at the swarm. For a moment, nothing happened. Then the pirates found themselves stuck to a film of ice that appeared out of nowhere, caused by Soren's magic. Before they knew what had hit them, a grand total of fifteen pirates were encased in ice as a massive tornado rocked the deck of the ship. The tomb of ice shattered catastrophically, breaking every single bone in the pirates' bodies. The unlucky foes dropped down dead. This sudden display power shattered the pirates' morale, causing them to break off from their assault and flee back to the ship.

"Nice one, Soren!" Boyd cheered as the mage shook his head rapidly to shake off the dizziness that came after performing such a powerful spell. "Way to save our butts!"

"It was nothing," Soren replied with a smile before turning to Ike. "Commander, should we pursue them? If I may say so, we should not let these criminals go free. I'm sure they've sacked merchant ships more helpless than this one."

"Must we wipe them ALL out?" Mist protested. "Sure they're criminals, but they're people too." Ike smiled a bit, but shook his head.

"Your mercy would be appreciated by some people, Mist," the mercenary commander replied, placing a hand on his sister's shoulder. "But they're pirates. If we let them be, they'll hurt more innocent people. Would you want that?"

"No…" Mist whimpered.

"Alright then," her brother replied before turning back to his men. "Gatrie, Boyd, Soren, you're with me. We kill any that attack us, but those who surrender must be left alive. We'll find a way to deal with them later."

"And if we find any loot?" Gatrie asked. "Can we keep it?"

"Maybe…" Ike replied. "We'll discuss it when we take care of the remaining pirates."

"Boss, don't leave me behind!" Mia cried, still clutching the wound from the arrow.

"Mia, I'm sorry, but we can't afford to lose you. Your sword arm needs a little time to heal, and fighting will only aggravate the injury, even if it's been treated with a staff. Mist and Rolf…get her inside. Nailah, would you check on Rafiel? I hope he didn't get sick from all the chaotic energy we released." Nailah nodded and dashed off to the men's quarters, where Rafiel remained for the fight.

"Alright, let's go," Ike said as he crossed the planks toward the enemy vessel, with Ragnell drawn.

* * *

The fight through the enemy ship was a tad more difficult for the mercenaries due to the cramped conditions, but eventually the four fought their way to the captain's quarters below deck, where a locked door blocked their path. Ike nodded to Boyd, indicating that he should break it down.

"Stand back, I'm gonna hit this with all my might!" the Reaver warned his fellows. Taking Urvan in both hands, he started spinning around, until he was like a living whirlwind. Finally, Boyd released the built-up momentum into one earth-shattering blow that smashed the door to pieces. Boyd stepped back and politely allows Ike to step through first with a corny flourish.

"Thank you, Boyd," Ike groaned, rolling his eyes.

The captain's quarters was dimly lit, but a casual observer could not help but see all the maps, charts and other navigational baubles that lined the walls and shelves, while a pair of silver axes were hung as a display over a simple wooden desk near the far end of the room. Sitting at that desk was a giant of a man, as big as a typical tiger laguz. As the mercenaries got closer, they were shocked to see that the captain had the characteristic tail and ears of a beast laguz.

"Aye…so ya found me…" the pirate captain grumbled.

"You're a…" Ike began, his voice weakened by shock.

"What's it to ya?" he shot back before Ike could finish.

"Never mind," Soren declared. "We've defeated your entire crew. Anyone who has not surrendered is dead. If you value your life, I suggest you surrender as well."

"And spend the rest of me life in Begnion's prisons?! Never!" the captain roared as he stood up and hefted a gigantic silver poleax. "I'd rather be devoured by sharks than rot in the brig!"

"Then your life is forfeit," Ike answered coldly, readying his weapon and gesturing his comrades to stand back. The pirate raised his own axe, let out a great roar, and charged toward Ike, who calmly waited for the right chance. When Ike saw his opening, he took it. For the others, the tense moment of Ike's attack and the pirate's charge seemed to be frozen for a second.

But it was over in that instant. Ike had not even given the captain a chance to swing his mighty weapon before he had sidestepped him and buried Ragnell, all the way to the hilt, into his right flank. The fire in the captain's eyes was gone in an instant, and he crashed to the floor, dead.

"I'm sure that will motivate any pirates that might stab us in the back to keep off our butts," Gatrie replied. "It looks like we're done here." But before much more could happen, Soren noticed a humanoid shadow in one of the corners, hidden behind a bunch of boxes.

"You there…in the corner…come out, and don't think about fighting us," the mage said coldly. For a moment, nothing happened, but then a small and emaciated beorc boy, no more than five or six years of age, crept out from behind the boxes. The youth was scraggly, dirty and covered in scars all over his chest. Despite his gaunt appearance and messy, untrimmed dirty blonde hair, he had a fierce light in his eyes that Ike couldn't help but notice. Ike sensed that the child was undaunted by their relative size and strength, and may attempt to put up a struggle. Still, Ike would not seek to kill such a foe so weak in comparison. Ike would try other methods.

"Hey, boy…" Ike said to him. "What were you doing behind there?"

"I was there if the cap'n needed me," the boy replied. "But now the cap'n's dead, isn't he?"

"He is," Ike answered calmly, his eyes following the boy's hands as they reached for something.

"Well if the cap'n goes…" the boy growled as he grabbed the axe and raised it up, "Then so do I!" The boy rushed at Ike just as the captain did, roaring at the top of his lungs. Unafraid and unflinching, Ike stood there, waiting for the child's strike. Just as the boy reached Ike, he leapt up two feet into the air, so that his face met Ike's and swung the axe as hard as he could. But the axe could not find flesh; it struck the goddess-blessed armor on Ike's arm. The poorly made axe head broke off and fell to the floor with an unassuming thud. The blow also caused the boy to fall onto his back. Now weaponless, the boy's ferocity dissipated instantly, and he scurried away like a frightened crab, his face now filled with sheer terror.

"Poor kid's desperate," Boyd whispered to Gatrie. "Makes me feel sorry for him…" Soren, who had backed up a bit, had caught a glimpse of a brand on the side of his neck. When he did, the mage was suddenly flooded with memories of his early childhood…the hunger, the shame, the fear. And for the first time in his memory, a feeling of empathy filled him. His normally hard, cold demeanor became softer and warmer as he approached the child.

"Hey…what's your name?" Soren asked, trying to sound as friendly as possible. Boyd and Gatrie were flabberghasted by Soren's out-of-character actions, while Ike simply smirked.

"Gimme yer name first," the child hissed.

"My name is Soren," the mage replied, his new feelings of kindness still in him.

"I-I'm Pollack…" the boy replied, now somewhat confused as to Soren's behavior. He watched as Soren shifted his bangs away from his forehead, exposing the mark that defined him.

"You're just like me," Soren said, smiling a bit. Even he was amazed about how easily that smile came. Pollack's fearfulness seemed to disappear, as a curiosity came over him. Boyd and Gatrie were completely puzzled by what Soren meant by all this, but Ike, who knew everything, kept watching.

"You're a mistake too?" Pollack asked. "The cap'n said I was a mistake and that being his pet was my punishment…"

"…A mistake?" Boyd asked. "I dunno what he means; this kid seems pretty normal to me, though it looks like he hasn't eaten for goddess-knows how long."

"Yes…I suppose I am too," Soren answered the boy. "We mistakes should stick together. I know we killed your captain, but we'll make it up to you."

"I…I didn't like my cap'n anyway," Pollack replied, turning his head away in shame.

"Well, come with us," Soren suggested, "my friend Ike is a much better captain than your old one. He treats everyone equally, whether you're beorc, laguz, or a mistake."

"But I'm a pirate!" Pollack responded, some bravery returning to his voice. "Pirates are loyal to their captains till…" But Pollack realized that Soren was right, and hung his head in defeat. "Oh, never mind. It's no use. I'm not a pirate at all." Soren realized that this tactic wasn't working as well as he had hoped, so he tried something else.

"We have lots of food on our ship," the mage said, aiming at Pollack's more basic drives. "If you come with us, we'll let you eat until you're happy." Soren gushed with victory as he saw the youth begin to salivate from hunger.

"O-okay, I-I'll come," Pollack finally said as he stood up.

"Are you sure this is a good idea, Soren?" Boyd asked a bit nervously. "The kid could just whack our heads off while we sleep, you know."

"Not if you feed me!" Pollack chirped.


	4. Chapter 4: People to Count On

Hello again, FE fans. I've decided to incorporate more than one storyline (probably three at most) into this fic, though they will mostly be subordinate to the main one. In this chapter, we begin with a little spilling of beans, followed by the first part of the side story. Read on!

* * *

**Chapter 4: People to "Count" On**

"Soren…I suppose it's time you let the cat out of the bag on what you meant," Ike told the mage as everyone (including Pollack) had gathered around their own private table for the morning meal. The room was lit by a lantern and the light from a single window, and was free of decorations. The table was filled with an assortment of foods: plates of meat, baskets of bread, bowls of fruit, and some plates of sweet delights as well. The crew of the ship was outside clearing the decks of the dead pirates, and cleaning up the mess as well. Mist had asked to help, but said there was no need. Now, everyone (including Nailah) was around the table, interested in the big secret Soren had been hiding.

"Alright…" Soren said before taking a deep breath. "Everyone, I've been keeping something about my heritage from you all. Only Ike and a select few others know this secret. I've kept this hidden because I feared you would reject me, and even now I have that fear."

"So…spit it out!" Mia quipped. "I'm on the edge of my seat here!"

"Don't worry about it, Soren…I'll still like you no matter what you are!" Mist said, smiling as she always did. "And I'm sure everyone else here will too."

"Guys…I…I'm a Branded," Soren said with a look that suggested that just saying those words was like the greatest agony possible.

"Branded?" Boyd said, scratching his head in puzzlement. "I'm not sure what that is. Ike, could you explain?" But instead, Nailah began to explain the nature of the Branded.

"The Branded are the result of having both beorc and laguz blood in your veins. Laguz who disdain them call them 'parentless'."

"Yes," Soren then said, continuing where Nailah had begun, "we Branded are a crime against the goddess…in beorc society we are ostracized, persecuted and hated; in laguz society we are viewed as invisible, not even acknowledged to exist. To laguz, we are supposed to be phantoms."

"T-that's horrible!" Mist exclaimed, a look of sheer disgust on her face.

"Woah…that's pretty harsh," Boyd quipped, wearing a look of awkward surprise.

"Well, that certainly explains why you never talked to most of us," Gatrie added, suddenly feeling enlightened on a question that had never been answered for him.

"Wow, I had no idea," Rolf gasped. Mia, however, did not seem so surprised at this lie. She had heard the tale of how Lehran and Altina kept their child a secret, and how that led to that great lie. She had been one of those chosen to accompany Ike and Micaiah into the Tower of Guidance. Rafiel, who was familiar with the customs of the laguz, was also unsurprised.

"Well, I still like you, Soren!" Mia said. "And I'm sure everyone else here does too; right guys?!"

"I know I do!" Rolf said, smiling pleasantly to make Soren feel better. "Without your smarts, I doubt we would have beat Ashnard, or saved all the petrified people!"

"I can't say you being part-laguz will change how I see you," Gatrie said. "To me, you'll always be our little master tactician. You've pulled some really wild plans from up your sleeve, and made it all work. I can't hate that kind of genius!"

"My country has numerous parentless, and all of my people, no matter who they are," Nailah replied, "live in harmony without persecution. I do not consider them to be shameful, let alone phantoms."

"Yeah, you're still pretty good in my book," Boyd replied.

"I have spent much time with parentless, and I also share Nailah's view," Rafiel answered. "And it is obvious to me that everyone else in this room has no malice toward you." The mage, moved by this unanimous show of friendship despite his status, could not help but start to cry.

"I…I…thanks guys…" Soren replied with the biggest smile he ever had.

"All right, all right, quit crying so we can have breakfast!" Boyd complained.

"Yeah! I'm starving!" Pollack quipped as he grabbed an apple from one of the bowls and began to devour it. Without another word, everyone at the table began to eat, though in a more civil manner.

* * *

"Good morning to you, my radiant and stunning friend," Duke Oliver said joyously as Reyson stepped into the great meeting hall in Mainal Cathedral where the senators of Begnion met with the empress to discuss matters of state. The hall, with a high-vaulted ceiling that seemed to stretch upward forever, was filled with sunlight, which poured through the stained-glass windows, depicting the epic battles of Begnion's first apostle, Altina, holding in each hand one of her holy swords. One window had been taken out, after Sanaki had commissioned a new one to be made. The vastness of the room made Oliver's robust greeting echo slightly. The old, corrupt senate had been dismantled inadvertently by the deaths of its various members, and only Duke Oliver, who had switched sides upon meeting Rafiel, and Sephiran, who remained in his post as Prime Minister to repent for his mistakes remained, besides a senator who had remained silent during the Daein occupation and War of Radiance. In the place of the old senate, Empress Sanaki appointed new senators, including the fiery-spirited heron prince.

"Ugh…please stop complimenting me like that, you fat oaf," Reyson groaned as he walked over to his seat. "I'm not a pretty piece of artwork to be admired. And I am not your friend, either."

"Come now, my white-winged beauty," Oliver cooed. "Can't we let bygones be bygones? I have long since realized that beautiful creatures such as you are most captivating when free from bondage! Besides, was it not I who personally ceded Serenes Forest, which had been a part of MY demesne, back to you and your family?"

"You only did it after the Empress personally threatened to cook you in your own corpulence," Reyson spat as he adjusted his wings to his new seat. Just then, a pair of senators, young and vibrant, entered the hall. Soon four others followed, all of them young and eager to push their ideas for change in Begnion. Finally, Sanaki, who walked in a regal gait, her vibrant and powerful personality seeming to radiate from her even when she was silent, joined them, with Sephiran, his wings still well-concealed by his robes, . The great wooden doors closed behind Sephiran, and the other senators awaited their young empress to sit down before they seated themselves.

"Before we begin," Sephiran said, looking around at the new senators, "we must ensure that the quota of senators is in attendance. I will now call out your names, and if you are present, indicate that you are present, in a manner that does not displease our Empress, of course…Henri, Duke of Clubia."

"Present," said a silver-haired young man with soft green eyes.

"Aiesha, Duchess of Culbert," Sephiran called out.

"Here," spoke a ginger-haired maiden sitting next to Reyson.

"Kay, Duke of Gaddos."

"Present, my Empress," a blonde-haired young man,with a wispy beard spoke.

"Fir, Duke of Clubea."

"Here," an aged, but vibrant man with smooth black hair answered.

"Vivian, Duchess of Asmin."

"I am here, Duke Persis," a purple-haired, middle-aged woman replied.

"Darius, Duke of Salmo."

"Here," a powerful, brown-haired man with a pointed beard spoke.

"Gavir, Duke of Seliora."

"Present," a red-haired young man with a diamond earring in his left ear answered.

"Oliver, Duke of Tanas."

"I am here, and might I say you look quite lovely today, oh, glorious Empress," Oliver answered with a flourish and a twinkle in his eye which caused Sanaki to sit back more in her chair, a bit nervous.

"And lastly, Reyson, Duke of Serenes Forest."

"Here," Reyson answered, giving Oliver a mean glance.

With a nod, Sephiran turned to Sanaki. "My Empress, all of the senators are present. May we begin the proceedings?"

"We may begin," the young empress replied before adjusting her seat a bit closer to the oval table that the senators now sat around. "Has anyone any matters they wish to bring to the table?" Wasting no time, Reyson raised his hand, his index finger pointed to the ceiling.

"Duke Serenes?" Sanaki said, acknowledging the heron. "Speak of the matter that concerns you."

"Thank you, Empress," Reyson replied, bowing his head in ritual gratitude. "Senators of Begnion, I have been approached by the king of the Phoenicis Federation, the esteemed Tibarn, with a request for military aid."

"What? Why should we help those sub-humans?" Darius spoke and he stood. Before he could say much else, he was met with a terrifying glare from Sephiran.

"We will no longer tolerate the term 'sub-human' in this hall, Duke Salmo!" Sephiran said coldly. "If you wish to remain in this meeting to voice your own issues, refrain from interruption and from using that vile term."

"Sephiran, please calm yourself!" Sanaki pleaded to her Prime Minister and friend. Sephiran, realizing his flaring temper, composed himself and sat back down, as did Darius. Once that occurred, Reyson continued.

"As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted, the Phoenicis Federation is under attack by a threat that has kept itself quiet during the Mad King's War and the War of Radiance, but has suddenly risen in violent rebellion."

"…Rebellion?" Duke Clubea exclaimed. "What could possibly cause a rebellion within that Federation? I heard King Tibarn was beloved by all of the bird tribes."

"Not all of them. The rebelling force is the owl tribe."

"A tribe of owl sub…I mean laguz?" Darius spoke up again, correcting himself before he could face the wrath of the Duke of Persis.

"Yes. The existence of the owl tribe has been unknown outside of Phoenicis, at least until now," Reyson answered. "The ravens, being cowardly in nature, have opted to exclude themselves from the battle. After the gruesome slaughter of much of Phoenicis' fighting force during the War of Radiance, the hawks do not have enough power to counter the owls."

"I would assume the beasts of Gallia would have little chance to stave off the owls, since they cannot fly," Sephiran said. "And Goldoa still remains aloof to the troubles of its fellows, despite the new king's best efforts."

"Indeed, Le…I mean Duke Persis," Reyson replied with a nod, almost uttering Sephiran's original name. "Crimea and Daein are still rebuilding, which leaves only Begnion to aid them."

"I am willing to contribute a few squadrons of archers, Senator Serenes," Duchess Asmin replied. "It is the least we can do to even begin to repay for our grave misdeeds against them." While Reyson gave a smile of gratitude to the young senator, the other nobles adamantly refused, for different reasons.

"It seems the rest of the senate is against you, Duke Serenes, and I myself feel that we cannot simply lend military aid to King Phoenicis. I would prefer a more diplomatic approach before we throw away the lives of more Begnion soldiers so soon after the war."

"King Tibarn has already tried talking to them," Reyson replied, his frustration growing. "They are ruining Phoenician homes and lives! We cannot let their crimes go unanswered. I do not ask for their slaughter, merely for them to be taught a lesson."

"I'm afraid I must still turn away your plea, Duke Serenes," Sanaki said apologetically, intentionally neglecting as always to refer to herself in the plural so as to make herself more equal to her senators. "As Empress of Begnion, I must officially deny Phoenicis any military aid." Sighing with defeat, Reyson sat down as a murmur went through the senators.

Before much else could happen, the wooden doors to the meeting chamber were forced open by four heavily armored Generals with silver lances, and stood at the door, soon followed by a black-haired, aging noble with a short mustache, and a look of sheer fury in his countenance.

"I demand your attention, Empress!" the noble roared.

"Count Damiell, have you no manners?" Oliver exclaimed. "We are conducting important senatorial proceedings!"

"Lack of manners is nowhere near as horrid as a lack of adherence to the proper rules of marriage and betrothal!" the count roared. "I demand reconciliation for the loss of my daughter's betrothed!"

"The count has a point," the duke of Gaddos said. "My father, the previous Duke of Gaddos, was to be wed to Damiell's eldest daughter, Lady Astrid."

"But now Lekain is dead, and my daughter is in Crimea; and in love with a lazy-good-for-nothing, no less!" the count continued. "I refuse to let my prized daughter marry a man with a gambling addiction and…pink hair!"

"Better to be a lazy-good-for-nothing than to be a greedy, genocidal megalomaniac," Reyson muttered. Sanaki, having overheard Reyson's muttering, smirked a bit before turning to the count.

"While I will see to it that Duke Kay will repay you as best he can, I will not force Lady Astrid to return here. Only Elincia, queen of Crimea, whom she serves, could give such an order. Crimea is now completely independent of Begnion, and is no longer expected to comply to even my wishes, let alone the wishes of a lesser noble."

"Empress, I beg of you!" the count continued to plead. "I cannot allow a do-nothing like Sir Makalov to be with my daughter! You must do something! Begnion must remind Crimea who…"

"My decision is final, Count Damiell!" Sanaki shot back, standing on her chair. "Begone or I shall have the Holy Guard drag you out and fling you into the streets! I will tolerate no more disruption!" At this, Count Damiell finally ceased his ranting. Scowling at Sanaki, he made a ritual bow before leaving. The armored soldiers, who had not moved since the argument began, finally left, not bothering to close the doors behind them.


	5. Chapter 5: Arrival in Phoenicis

Yay moar.

* * *

**Chapter 6: Arrival in Phoenicis**

"You mean you want ME to anchor MY ship next to THAT dock?! In THESE waters?!" the captain exclaimed with great shock when he was requested by Ike to anchor his ship near a small dock on a short stretch of beach on the coast of Phoenicis. "You're mad if ya think I'm going to do something like that!" Indeed, Phoenicis was all but inaccessible from the sea. Only the bird tribes that lived there could reach Phoenicis with ease, and the small, rotting dock was the only thing in Phoenicis that came close to a port.

"Oh, come on, I don't mean THAT. Don't you have a normal manner with which to get ashore?" the mercenary commander asked. "…Like a rowboat? I wouldn't ask you to run your ship right onto the shore."

"Sure, I suppose I can spare one or two," the captain replied with a slight smirk. "But it'll cost ya extra."

"…After we risked our lives to save your ship from being taken over by marauding pirates? You must be joking!" Ike retorted. "I refuse to pay."

"No payment, no rowboat," the captain answered, crossing his arms and spitting to the side after retorting. "You could always swim ashore." The captain let out a hearty laugh before suddenly he felt a blade scrape across his upper lip and looked down to see Ike a few feet away, and sheathing Ragnell. After an awkward moment, the captain's mustache fell off his upper lip, the thick mass of hairs dispersing with the wind. At the moment, Mist was walking by, and shrieked as Ike delivered the close shave.

"IKE! What do you think you're doing?!" she cried out.

"Now will you lend us your rowboats?" Ike asked again, more aggressively this time.

"S-s-sure thing…" the captain stammered in abject terror. "…N-n-no charge."

"I'm glad we see eye to eye now," Ike replied with a smirk. "Now go and order you men to get our supplies onto the boats." The captain nodded, and walked in the direction of the crew's quarters with a great deal of haste. Mist, with a look of sheer outrage on her face, stormed up to her brother.

"Ike! You could have killed the poor man!" the healer scolded.

"Mist, would I have done that if I didn't think I COULD do it without killing him?" Ike replied.

"Even so, the captain's probably scared to death of you now!"

"That's all the better for us. That will make sure he doesn't try to rip us off on the return trip."

"Oh, Ike…you're starting to think like Soren."

* * *

The trip ashore went off without a hitch: three rowboats were loaded with the mercenaries and their supplies and were transported to shore. As the rowboats approached, Mia caught sight of Janaff, who was waving eagerly to them, while Ulki was sitting down on the beach, idly fiddling with the sand.

"Hey! It's them!" Mia exclaimed. She yelled out a greeting after standing up and cupping her hands around her mouth to yell back. Rafiel noticed Ulki wincing as Mia yelled, and yanked her down (with a bit of effort of course, being as physically weak as herons tend to be)

"Oh…I forgot that Ulki has really sharp hearing…" Mia said when she realized what Rafiel's tug meant. "I guess I should apologize when we get on shore." As the boats reached the shore, Janaff was the first to greet the new visitors.

"Hey, and welcome to lovely Phoenicis!" the hawk laguz quipped. "We're glad to have you here! Did you have a good trip?"

"We ran into some pirates. Beorc ones," Ike replied. "We dealt with them with ease, with only minor injuries. But the question right now is how are we going to get to the top of those cliffs? We can't fly like you hawks can."

"We can simply carry you up in our talons while in our hawk forms," the hawk king's eyes replied. "I've also brought along some extra help too, knowing that you beorc carry a lot of supplies with you." Janaff looked up the cliff, and blew a short series of whistles. After a few seconds, ten hawk warriors leapt off the cliff, shifted into the hawk forms, and swooped in their direction, all while remaining in a perfect five-long, two-abreast formation. The hawks stopped in that same arrangement as well.

"Nice timing, boys," Janaff said with a nod of approval as his subordinates landed. "Your orders are simple. Get these beorc and all their supplies up the cliff, and on the double!" The hawks let out screeching cries that seemed to be equivalent to "Yes, sir", and wasted no time in grabbing whatever they could, right out of the boats. While Janaff watched the hawks go to work, Ulki finally stood up and walked over to Rafiel and Nailah, the latter still in wolf form.

"Prince Rafiel! What are you doing with Queen Nailah?" Ulki said with some worried surprise. "I warned you to remain in Hatari. This war is not the place for a heron noble to be."

"I told you once, and I shall tell you again," Rafiel said, remaining quiet and elegant even as some determined stubbornness came through, "I will remain with Queen Nailah until one of us perishes."

"You're more like your brother than I thought," Ulki replied with a chuckle before his expression returned to its usual, dour self. "But it seems that you still can't fly."

"I do not mind," the land-bound heron replied. "But I sometimes miss being able to soar above the ground in the days before I was captured and enslaved. Then again, I suppose it was through the events that followed my bondage that led me to Nailah. It also saved me from perishing with the other herons."

"Let's not talk about those things, Rafiel," Ulki said, looking more dour than usual. "It's time for us to transport you and the others up the cliffs.

The trip to Phoenicis Hall was, although devoid of danger, was full of excitement for the mercenaries. Phoenicis was a land covered in mountains that were covered in lush, green forests covering all but their jagged peaks. Ulki, Janaff, and the other hawks, the original ten now joined by another five, were carrying either some of the supplies, or two passengers.

Mist, who was riding on the back of Janaff, was giggling with enjoyment as she clung tightly to the hawk's feathers. Mia, on the other hand, was terrified as she was being grasped in Janaff's talons, her feet dangling over a drop of an excess of two thousand feet, praying fervently to Ashunera that Janaff wouldn't let go. Soren, seated on Ulki's back with Pollack in his lap, smirked as Boyd was whining like a scared puppy while being held in the sharp-eared hawk's claws.

After about an hour in flight, the mercenaries caught sight of a castle with dozens of arches that led to halls that were exposed to the mountain air, which was extremely crisp and clean. At first, the castle didn't seem too unordinary, but as they got closer, it could be seen that the citadel had been carved directly from a mountain peak, chiseled and polished away bit by bit over the years.

"That must be where Tibarn lives," Ike called out, trying to raise his voice above the howl of the air going over them. Ike was astride one of the lesser hawk soldiers, with Rolf clinging to him from behind.

"It's amazing!" Mist said loudly in agreement. "I'd love to know how the hawks could have made something so beautiful!"

"We'll find out when we make our descent," Soren replied, a bit more softly, "which should commence in 5…4…3…2…1…0." Just as Soren's count hit zero, the hawks started their descent, armed with the knowledge of the exact manner required to land with the greatest ease.

The hawks' descent was in a wide spiral with a gradual curve, good for a slow descent while gliding. Each hawk was carrying just enough weight to be able to fly all the way to Phoenicis Hall and glide into the castle safely. It was when the hawks began their spiral that Soren took notice of the castle's structure.

"Amazing…only laguz, with a lifespan exceeding two centuries, could create this wonder…" the mage mumbled. Pollack overheard him, but didn't make much of it, due to his young age and relative inexperience with life. His mind was on his next meal, and was excited to know about the great quantities of meat that awaited him.

* * *

"Whew! I am NEVER doing that again!" Mia exclaimed with boundless relief as she got used to walking on solid ground again. The hawks had dropped off their passengers in an airy, but covered courtyard on the east side of the castle, and reverted to their untransformed states. Boyd nodded slightly in agreement, but his attention was elsewhere, as the smell of cooking food was apparent in the air. Pollack, having caught the scent just as they made their final approach, eagerly made a mad dash for a set of double-doors to the north. Just as Ike and Soren took notice of the young Branded's sudden move, the doors opened, and the scrawny child barreled headlong into none other than King Tibarn. The child yelped as he rammed right into the hawk king's leg, but even at his breakneck speed, he did not cause Tibarn to stumble.

As Pollack looked up at the towering figure of Tibarn, he saw the hawk king's eyes meet his for a moment. But then Tibarn simply moved on as if nothing had happened, without so much as yelling at him. Instead, he saw Ike and his mercenaries, and his somewhat sad expression turned to one of joy and excitement.

"Ike! You came!" the hawk king said, his voice proud and powerful as always. "And you brought some help too!" The blue-haired mercenary acknowledged Tibarn by extending his arm for a friendly handshake. To his surprise, he was suddenly caught in a powerful bear hug, but was released after a moment.

"Can't we simply shake hands?" Ike coughed.

"Oh, come now, Ike! We're comrades, aren't we?" Tibarn replied before turning to survey the small assembled group. He first noticed Rafiel, who was still a bit in shock after seeing Pollack barrel headlong into Tibarn. "Rafiel! Good to see you again!"

"It's nice to see you again too, King Tibarn. Lady Nailah is here, as she promised."

"I'm glad we can see each other again on peaceful terms, King of Birds," the wolf queen said as she stepped forward, bowing respectfully. "To be honest, I pleaded Rafiel to remain behind, but he's as stubborn as his younger brother Reyson." Tibarn laughed heartily, and then turned his attention to the other mercenaries.

"Let's see if I remember your names," he said, looking over each mercenary. He pointed to Mia first. "You're Mia! How could I forget the only one of those who fought Ashera who could use a sword anywhere near as well as Ike could?"

"It's an honor to know that, Your Majesty!" Mia answered with gratitude. She always liked being acknowledged for her talents with a sword. Tibarn then turned to Boyd, but seemed to struggle a bit with his name.

"Your name's Bord, right?" Tibarn then asked, pointing to the Reaver.

"It's BOYD, King Tibarn. B-O-Y-D," Boyd answered, disgruntled at Tibarn not remembering him so well. Next, Tibarn looked down at Rolf, and also struggled with his name.

"My name is Rolf, Your Majesty," the young sniper replied, brandishing his bow. "Don't worry, I'll feather any owl who tries to hurt you!" The hawk king laughed again and playfully mussed with his moss-colored hair before turning to Mist.

"And how could I forget you, Mist…you're such a gentle creature. Your parents must be proud."

"Thank you, Tibarn," Mist answered, trembling a bit. Next, Tibarn turned to Gatrie. As he opened his mouth to guess his name, he paused, his outstretched finger drooping.

"Sorry, I don't remember you at all." Gatrie, who had been beaming with a gallant smile, groaned defeatedly as Tibarn finally turned to Soren.

"Ah, yes! Ike's little strategist! Still pulling crazy plans out of your magic hat?"

"…Magic hat, Your Majesty?" Soren said with scornful puzzlement. He was already miffed at the hawk king for treating Pollack like a phantom. "Your choice of words is hardly fitting." Tibarn, taken slightly aback by Soren's rudeness, stepped back a bit and then started toward the door.

"Well…anyways, let's go into my special meeting chamber and we'll discuss the terms of the contract." At this, Soren smiled a bit and followed. It was time for him to work his money-making magic on the hawk king. Ike, also hearing this, also followed the hawk king.

"Let us join them, Rafiel," Nailah said, turning to her heron companion, who nodded in agreement. They too followed Tibarn.

"Oh, by the way," Tibarn called to the others as he and the other participants in the contract dealings were about halfway to the door. "A special guest dropped by a few days ago, and he's dying to meet you. Ulki, why don't you take them to him?"

"Right away, my king," Ulki said, before motioning the others to follow.

* * *

The hawk king's ears led the mercenaries, with Pollack in tow, through the weaving, airy and high-vaulted halls of Tibarn's great citadel, until they came to a smaller courtyard. A few cobbled paths were the only thing aside that was not covered a myriad of grasses and flowers. Under a large wooden gazebo sat a thin, slightly wrinkled, but almost luminous figure with long, flat hair that was the color of white gold. His aging face was graced by a goatee the same color as his hair. He looked up and smiled before speaking to them in the ancient speech, a language that none of them knew very well. Even so, his voice was like a soft, but fairly deep melody, so calming and peaceful.

"He begs of you to come closer," Ulki replied.

"Is h-he…a…a heron?" Mist said, almost breathless at being addressed by a being who seemed so holy. Mia nodded as well, paralyzed by the figure's splendor

"He is not just a heron…" Ulki replied. "He is King Lorazieh, father to Reyson, Rafiel, and Leanne. You shouldn't disrespect him by standing so far away." Boyd and Gatrie, who were not as affected by Lorazieh's presence, approached him, but placed their weapons down first. After a few moments, Mist and Mia followed the two men. Pollack, however, scurried behind a bush, too ashamed, even at his age, to approach so pure a being and corrupt the serenity with his accursed presence. Lorazieh then called out to Pollack, again in the ancient speech.

"Your Majesty, none of these beorc can understand you. Please use modern speech while addressing them."

"I apologize," Lorazieh replied, now speaking in the modern tongue. "Dear Ulki, would you fetch for me the boy who is hiding the bushes?" Ulki nodded obediently, and flapped over to Pollack, and picked him up by the shirt collar and brought him over to the heron king. As soon as Ulki put the young Branded down, he stumbled away again.

"…C'mere Pollack!" Mist called out to him. "You can sit with me if you want!"

"…Yeah!" Rolf added. "He won't hurt you."

"No!" the child called back, now heading back to the same bush he hid behind last time. Lorazieh shook his head in disappointment at this and muttered something in the ancient speech.

"I do not understand why he refuses to be near to you," Ulki replied. "I have yet to see any child who did not find peace in your presence."

"The child is a parentless," Lorazieh replied. "I sense in his heart that he has been raised with full knowledge of being so. His life has been filled with hopelessness and pain, up until recently."

"No wonder Soren warmed up to him so quick," Gatrie muttered to himself before turning to the heron king. "We found him on a pirate ship that raided our boat on the way here. I remember him being like a scared animal…poor kid."

"If he will not come to me, I shall go to him," the heron king finally said, and stood up with surprising ease. He walked slowly toward the bush, and Mist could sense that Pollack's fear was growing and rose to follow the heron, while the others watched.

"No! I'm a mistake! Stay back! I don't want to make you all dirty!" the young Branded cried out as Lorazieh finally peeked around the bush. Amazingly, the heron king was undeterred, and instead began to sing with a voice more beautiful than any Begnion choir member; the melody was a galdr, one that could calm even the most stricken or enraged individual. The child's trembling and whimpering ceased, and he finally mustered the will to even gaze at the heron.

"Be at peace, little one, and do not let your past trouble you anymore. Come sit with your friends." Pollack looked up, and started to stand before hesitating. He looked up at Mist, who smiled and offered her hand. The child took her hand, and they returned to the gazebo where Lorazieh had been sitting before. Pollack now sat himself in Mist's lap, and finally the heron king could converse with them as he had hoped to in the first place.

"Beorc mercenaries…I have heard of the exploits of you and your commander, Ike from King Tibarn. His words paint Ike as a warrior without peer in nobility, integrity and skill with a sword. I wish to know from you if Tibarn's words hold true."

"Ike's the greatest!" Mia quipped.

"I gotta admit, Ike's got admirable things about him," Gatrie answered. "…Though he doesn't have my rugged good looks!"

"Oh Gatrie, you lunk-head," Mist groaned. "Ike has a heart more true and more valiant than anyone else I know! He's everything Tibarn said, and more!"

"I see, daughter of Elena."

"Huh?" Mist exclaimed. "How do you know my mother's name?"

"Reyson told me. He told me that my daughter, Lillia, was captured in an attempt to seize Lehran's Medallion and unleash the dark god. She entrusted the medallion to her, and you kept it after she died…is this not correct?"

"Yes…it is," Mist answered timidly.

"I give my thanks to her through you, and I thank you and your brother as well," the heron king replied. "Also, I thank the rest of you for ensuring that Ike and Mist could achieve Lillia's dream."

"Yeah, whatever," Boyd replied flippantly. Ulki frowned a bit at this comment.

"Booyyyyyd!" Mist whined.


	6. Chapter 6: Owls and Assassins

Okay, time for another update. In this chapter, we finally meet a few members of the owl tribe. Onward!

* * *

**Chapter 6: Owls and Assassins**

Night in Phoenicis was not a time that most bird laguz liked to fly. The forests at night were all but pitch-black, and even Janaff's incredible vision would be limited in the darkness. But for the owl tribe, it was prime time for flying and going about their business. While their kind could function easily enough in daylight, the nights of Phoenicis belonged to the owls. The moon was nearly full this night, and would be full within the next week or so.

Standing on a balcony in a modest, but elegant wooden mansion carved into the treetops, was the current sovereign of the owls: Prince Janus. The prince's normal form was odd: his hair was jet black, save for the tips, which were dyed maroon, made from a special permanent hair dye made of blood, herbs and water, used to designate the current ruler, while his eyes were colored like moss covered in dew. But his most distinguishing feature was the pair of wings on his back: the feathers were almost pure white, save for being dotted with black spots. The prince wore rugged and simple clothing, but his otherwise peasant-like outfit was accented with a gold pendant with a large ruby set into it; this was a clan treasure. In the owl clans, the white-winged snowy owls were the rulers and had been so for the past several centuries. But amongst the hawks and ravens, Janus was called "The Other White Prince", a parody of the title that Reyson, the heron prince, bore.

As he gazed up at the moon, his mind once again mulled over the war he was very close to engaging in. The latest reports by his spies revealed that the hawk king Tibarn had hired a group of powerful mercenaries to bolster his strength. These mercenaries, the Greil Mercenaries, were the best on Tellius, and their leader was said to be a swordsman without equal. Furthermore, they had enlisted the aid from the distant, supposedly mythical kingdom of Hatari in the form of its queen. Even one of Begnion's senators was offering support in the form of a small regiment of archers. Though the tide had once been in the owl's favor, the prince was losing hope.

"My prince," a stern, grim voice spoke from behind him. Janus turned his head around to see another owl laguz advancing into the moonlight. This one had dark brown wings, a pointed face, smooth hair and an equally pointed beard.

"Yes, Savato?" the owl prince said, allowing him to continue.

"I have gone over the intelligence reports again, and I have found something interesting of note."

"Go on," Janus replied, still gazing at the moon.

"One of our spies found a white feather on the ground in the vicinity of Tibarn's rotting excuse for a dock. As far as I know, you and Sir Beeker have not been there…"

"Just get to the point," the prince spat.

"There is a very high chance that one of the Serenes herons is in Phoenicis Hall," Savato replied. "…Perhaps it is the revered Prince Reyson?"

…Reyson. The name made Janus retch. That pompous, overbearing fop of a heron was continually blessed by chance and fate. Escaping the Serenes massacre, helping to win the Mad King's War, then facing down the goddess, and now a senator of Begnion. Everything fell into Reyson's lap. Meanwhile, Janus had to continually deal with an increasingly desperate and aggressive clan with a long-standing grudge against the hawks. Janus would give just about anything to get a chance to see Reyson again and tear his milky-white face off. It would be worth dying at the hands of a raging King Tibarn.

"Reyson...are you thinking what I'm thinking, Savato?"

"If you are thinking of kidnapping that accursed heron and holding him ransom, then yes," Savato replied with a smirk. But who could we send? The hawks will surely be guarding the room heavily, and as long as there is light, they will spot any squadron of owls that gets near Phoenicis Hall."

"The hawks always expect an attack from the air…but they would be completely unprepared for a single…infil…trator…" Janus suddenly paused when he realized who had just thought of sending.

"There is no one else who can, my prince," Savato chuckled.

"No…she's not ready for that yet!" Janus protested, his grim expression turning to one of great worry. "I will not sacrifice my little sister, even if it means getting my hands on Reyson."

"Well, do you know of another?"

"Yes…I do," the prince said, nodding his head, relieved that he realized who that other could be.

* * *

"That's it, Nadja, keep going," Volke said with surprisingly little emotion as he watched his student bound from tree branch to tree branch in the forests not far from the owl tribe's capital. The sun was high, but the mass of trees kept much of the sun's light off the evergreen forest's floor, the latter of which was covered with fallen needles, mostly brown, but some still fresh and green.

Up in the trees was Volke's student: a girl who appeared no more than eleven or twelve with long, and light hair, and stunning grey eyes. She was dressed in drab black, red and brown clothing like that worn by a trained thief. She sprang about with surprising agility, leaping from limb to limb with surprisingly little effort. But her leaping about was soon cut short when she miscalculated the distance of a jump, and began to plummet straight down, tumbling from thirty feet in the air. Instinctively she struck her knife into one of the nearby trees, and held on tight. The weapon held fast and she managed to stop her fall, about nine feet from the ground, and less than two from the nearest branch.

"Oh no…I slipped…I'm so stupid!" Nadja thought as she got a grip on the tree, pulled out the knife, and dropped onto the branch below.

"That's enough of agility training for today, Nadja," Volke called up to her. "Get down here."

"Yes sir…" the girl replied, and did a careful jump from the branch onto the ground. She staggered a bit as she hit the ground, but did not fall down. Without much else, Volke started toward the southeast, toward the owl capital, with the girl following close behind.

"Nadja, there is something I am curious of…" the assassin began.

"Yes, master?"

"I was watching you up there in the trees, and your ability to move from tree to tree is astonishing. It took me a long time to move like that. If I may ask, what is your secret?"

"…Two hundred and fifty thousand." Nadja replied with a giggle.

"Heh…I taught you well," Volke said. He had taught Nadja never to reveal her secrets, though she had picked up on Volke's tendency to blurt out a high number when asked a question he didn't want to answer. As master and student kept walking, Nadja saw something white whiz by along her peripheral vision. That something doubled back and landed just in front of them…it was a large snowy owl laguz, except this one was pure white.

The owl shifted back to its natural form to reveal a relatively young boy, appearing no older than twelve or thirteen. His hair, like Janus' was black, but his wings were white as fresh fallen snow. He wore a white, short-sleeved shirt with a large collar, a blue vest and black trousers, while white strips of cloth were bound around his hands. The laguz's eyes were a striking blue, and they seemed more vivid than usual in his anger.

"I thought I'd find you here, Nadja…" the owl said sternly, ashamed that Nadja was associating with a man like Volke.

"Um…uh, hi, Beeker…" Nadja replied nervously. "H-how did you know we were here?"

"Your brother told me I'd find the knife-man here. Whenever he left the castle, you did too."

"The business between Nadja and I is none of your concern, Beeker," Volke answered coldly. "If Prince Janus has a message to convey to me, do so. Otherwise, leave us be."

"Prince Janus has a mission for you, Volke. He wants to meet with you at the castle as soon as you are able. It concerns a special job."

"…Very well. I'll be there as soon as possible. Come on, Nadja."

"Yes…" Nadja began, but Beeker stepped in between them.

"No. She's coming with me."

"…Five hundred." Volke replied.

"Don't play games with me, human…" Beeker said with a scowl.

"Please, Master Volke…he means well," Nadja told her master. Volke paused to consider this, then turned away to continue onward. Nadja and Beeker waited until the assassin was out of sight before continuing on as well.

"Nadja, I don't get you," the owl said, obviously frustrated. "I always remember you being so gentle, so loving, like you could never hurt anyone. But ever since that man showed up, you've become something else entirely."

"I-I just want to help my brother…" Nadja answered, look away in shame. "He's doing everything he can to win, and…and I want to do my part."

"If you want to do your part, get your brother to STOP this stupid war!" Beeker cried out. "I know the hawks have oppressed the owls in the past, but King Tibarn has done nothing but try to extend his hand in friendship to us? And now I hear that they've hired mercenaries, as well as enlisted help from Begnion! At this rate, your brother, and my sovereign, is going to get us all slaughtered like the herons did, and all because of a grudge!"

"I don't like this war, either, Beeker," Nadja replied as she stepped over a few exposed roots. "But I still want to help my brother any way I can until the hawks and owls can find peace."

* * *

The night air was clean and crisp as always, and the aerial patrols were just ending their shifts. At night, the hawks settled down to rest, and the guards of Phoenicis Hall were concentrated on the inner areas of the citadel. Completely unbeknownst to them, two beorc infiltrators were finishing their ascent to the hall. Janus and Savato were right: the hawks had no clue what was about to happen. All eyes were up to the sky, not to the ground where the true threat was. Their mission was simple in theory, but would probably be horribly difficult in execution.

"Nadja…are you sure you want to come with me?" Volke whispered to his student. This is your first mission ever, and if I lose you, your brother won't stop at killing me."

"Don't worry," Nadja whispered back. "As long as I know you're around, I'll be fine."

"Good," the assassin replied. Since I'm the more experienced combatant between us, I'll try to keep the guards distracted while you snag the heron and get out. We'll meet back up here in three hours.

"Yes, sir," the thief replied. "I'm going to head up the walls now."

"Good luck…" Volke mumbled. "You'll need it, kid." With that, Volke started his own ascent toward the main gate, and then peeked over the ledge before the front door. There, two hawks were marching back and forth, watching the air for trouble with their torches. The assassin looked around for some sort of concealment, and cursed under his breath when he found none. He had to kill them as quickly and as quietly as possible. Janus had begged him to kill only as many hawks as he needed to, though Savato insisted that they slip in and slit Tibarn's throat.

Volke silently drew the blessed dagger Baselard, a weapon discovered in the desert during the tail end of the War of Radiance. He had accompanied Ike into the Tower of Guidance, and facing off with the man who slew the goddess was not something he was looking forward to.

When it looked like one of the hawks seemed to become inattentive, Volke made his move. Springing from his cover with only a single, slight scraping noise, he grabbed one of the guards by the body, clasped his mouth and slit his throat. Blood poured out like a river from the laguz's throat. His companion whirled around to see this, but Volke was faster than the guards were, and the other lay dead in a pool of blood within moments as well. Neither guard had a chance to sound the alarm, even in a way the sharp-eared Ulki could hear.

Volke fumbled through the guards' immediate possessions, and happened upon a set of keys. The assassin, still filled with knowledge of burglary, oiled the hinges on the great wooden doors before unlocking and opening them. He could only hope that Nadja was doing as well as he was.


	7. Chapter 7: Sneaking and Swords

Well, it's been a little while since I updated, hasn't it? Anyway, it's time to get going again. Anyway, in this chapter we find out how Nadja fares in her mission, and we also start working on developing one of my favorite FE pairings, and I'll say it now: Ike/Mia.

* * *

**Chapter 7 - Sneaking and Swords**

To a thief trying to sneak around, every noise, no matter how small, was unto the cacophony of battle. The slightest scrape or groan could attract guards, and Nadja knew that she would be no match for a hawk worthy of guarding the hawk king's abode. But onward she crept, staying in shadow in case a guard happened to enter the vicinity. Though she knew her brand marked her as cursed, she was glad to have inherited the beast tribe's excellent night-time vision. The whole world was quite clear to her, but it lacked color. Everything she saw was black, white and the various shades of grey in between. Still, it was enough for her to get around.

As she rounded a bend, she heard a furious flapping of wings coming from down a nearby hallway. Assuming the worst, Nadja quickly dove into a nearby alcove, the scraping of her feet drowned out by the flapping of wings. She curled up as much as she could in order to make herself as small as possible to avoid notice. The sound got louder and louder, and was soon accompanied by the sounds of alarm. Her first fear was that she had been spotted, and her heart started racing. But soon the sounds of flapping got quieter. The thief got to her feet, and looked up and down the hallway. The guards had gone right by her without so much as checking.

Then it hit her.

"Master Volke…" she gasped. She liked the man, a man who had so willingly taught her his art. Her first instinct was to rush to his aid, but she remembered words he spoke to her in the beginnings of her lessons:

"We assassins put our mission at the highest priority. Though teamwork helps the mission forward, it's every killer for him or herself." With these words ingrained in her memory, she pressed onward, looking for any sign of the heron her brother so dearly wanted to capture.

Though it seemed an eternity, Nadja suddenly got a strong feeling that she had found her target. With a quick once-over, she deduced that the door was unlocked, and was free to open. Her fear turned to excitement, that she had achieved her goal. Forgetting her stealth for a brief moment, she flung the door open and walked in…right into the gaze of Queen Nailah, already in animal form.

Before Nadja could react, the wolf queen had circled around her, slammed the door shut and now blocked it. There was only one window to let air in, and there was no way she could slip out now. Nailah, seeing that she had successfully intimidated the thief, reverted to her normal form.

"Rafiel's instinct was right," she said sternly. "We were going to have a visitor."

"…Rafiel?" Nadja exclaimed, now backing into a corner. "But my brother said…"

"My brother is safe in Begnion," Rafiel, who had been meditating in another corner up until now, said, getting to his feat. "I fear that your brother, whoever he may be, mistook me for him."

"We commend your efforts for getting all the way here," Nailah said with a touch of honest admiration, "but I'm afraid you have failed in your mission." The thief, in an act of desperation, sprang at Rafiel, and in a flash, got a tight hold on him. Even though she was only a child, the girl was able to restrain the heron and hold a blade to his throat.

"D-don't come any closer, o-or the heron dies!" she stammered. Rafiel was more surprised at the girl's agility than fearful for his life, but looked over at Nailah, who was obviously steaming mad.

"If you spill a single drop of blood out of Rafiel, I'll…" Nailah let out a bone-chilling howl and changed into wolf form. Nadja, her desperation growing, pushed the knife deeper into the heron's throat.

"I-I'm warning you!" the girl stammered. But Nailah was far swifter, and in an astonishing act of precision, pounced at Nadja, and bit down hard on the girl's arm, right at her elbow joint. Nadja screamed in agony and released her grip on Rafiel. She dropped to her knees, gripping her mangled joint, tears streaming down her face; not simply because of the pain, but that she had failed so miserably as well. She had let everyone down: her brother, her teacher, and the entire owl tribe.

"Nailah…must you be so brutal?!" Rafiel cried out. Nailah, realizing now what she had done, shifted back to her normal shape and took a few steps back while cursing silently for so horrid an act.

"I-I'm sorry Rafiel…y-you know how I am…" she finally spoke.

"Just…kill me…" Nadja whimpered.

"What?" Rafiel exclaimed.

"I…I'm worthless…" the girl sobbed and sniffled before falling unconscious. She turned her head aside, just enough for Nailah to spot her mark on her neck.

"Another parentless…" the wolf queen gasped.

* * *

The next morning, the mercenaries, Tibarn, Nailah and Rafiel were all gathered in the citadel's infirmary, where Mist was treating the girl's wounds. The heron and wolf had recounted what had happened the previous night. But there was one extra detail that Rafiel noted that took Ike by surprise.

"She always blurted out some high number whenever we asked her anything," the heron said. "She truly is a puzzle."

"One thing's for sure…" Ike said, "We know that this girl picked up a few habits from a certain assassin most of us should know."

"Volke…" Tibarn said, shaking his head. "It looks like he was just in it for the money after all."

"But if Volke is in it for the money, why is he helping the owls?" Mia asked. "The owls probably don't have much in the way of wealth. Soren, got any ideas?" To everyone (except Nadja)'s disappointment, the mage shook his head.

"That man is a mystery wrapped in an enigma," Soren said. "I doubt even our intruder knows his reasons. But I suspect that he was here last night. The owl's sovereign would have to be truly heartless to send such a young girl here alone. And she couldn't have killed twelve guards by herself." At this moment, Mist got up as the young thief slowly began to open her eyes. Once she saw all the people gathered around her, she yelped in fear and tried to cover her head with the sheets, but it was difficult with one arm.

"Hiding under the sheets won't help you, kiddo," Tibarn said, rolling his eyes before pulling them off. Nadja yelped again, but couldn't crawl away.

"You should be thankful we didn't just kill you," Ike added. "Rafiel is a dear friend, and anyone who would kill a friend of ours hasn't long to live."

"Please, do not be so harsh on her," Rafiel said, sitting down near her. "I was still able to learn much from reading her feelings."

"The more information, the better, Rafiel," Tibarn said. "Tell us what she was hiding."

"She lives among the owl tribe, under the protection of Prince Janus. They share a strong familial bond, not unlike the one Queen Elincia and Lucia share. She seeks to make him happy whenever possible, and hoped that kidnapping Reyson would please him." Nadja nodded slightly in confirmation. For all she knew, her entire mind was known to this heron.

"The girl is also Branded…I believe she has lineage from the cat clan."

"That explains how she slipped by all the guards," Ike said. "But that isn't much help to us."

"Actually, we have a way to end this conflict," Soren interrupted.

"I get it!" Boyd exclaimed. "We demand that the owls surrender in exchange for her life! If this Janus guy really does care for her, he'll give up without a second thought!" Nadja curled up a bit more, her failure once again being drilled into her mind.

* * *

"No…please…tell you're joking, Savato…" Janus said, trying to contain himself as he heard the news, shaking his head as his heart raced in his fearfulness. During the night, claimed Savato, the hawks found his sister and captured her, and were, even as he spoke, most likely subjecting her to unspeakable indignities in order to pull information out of her.

"I fear that your sister is very likely to perish before long, my liege," his servant replied. "While this indignity must not go unanswered, it is a sign that they are truly in dire straits! Now is the time to strike at the heart of the Federation and make the hawks pay for all they've put us through!"

"No!" Beeker, who was in the room with them participating in this discussion, cried out. "We can't! This whole madness has to stop! I know we've suffered in the past, but I keep telling you, WE are the ones in the wrong right now!"

"…Silence, nestling!" Savato screeched. "You obviously forget what the hawks put us through!"

"I remember, Savato," Beeker replied. "But that doesn't mean we should destroy their food supplies, and disrupt their livelihood. It's been at least a century since…"

"What about the Serenes Massacre?" Savato shot back. "Even after they supposedly liberated us, we had to suffer the loss of much of Janus' family, as as many other owls, when those accursed humans from Begnion, whom the hawks now consider their friends, razed that forest? Furthermore, when Tibarn saved Prince Reyson, he left Janus to die! To the hawks, our own royal family seemed but mere servants to the weakling herons!"

"But…" Beeker began.

"Stop it, both of you!" Janus cried out suddenly, having been completely cut out from the conversation by Beeker and Savato's argument. "I am tired of your bickering. Leave me, Savato…Beeker, remain with me for a moment."

Savato grumbled, but bowed respectfully and departed. With Savato was out of earshot, Janus beckoned Beeker to come closer.

"Beeker, I shall admit now that I do not fully trust Savato's words. He seems all too eager to go to war, and I am aware what that might result in. I will have Volke investigate Savato's activities. I trust you to go to Phoenicis Hall and plead for Nadja's release. You alone among our tribe could earn the trust of the hawks and herons."

"If it will help secure Nadja's release, I would fight the king of dragons himself," the snowy-winged owl replied with eagerness in his voice.

* * *

The noon air was crisp and clean as always, and Janaff was going about his rounds in aerial surveillance of the area surrounding Phoenicis Hall. His incredible vision did not reveal much at first, but about an hour into his shift, he spotted another bird laguz flying in his direction. At first, Janaff saw the pure white wings and mistook the laguz for a heron, but then noticed the black hair.

"A snowy owl…and it's a kid. What in the goddess' name is he up to? I better notify Tibarn…"

* * *

Beeker swallowed nervously as he finally came close to Phoenicis Hall. He was in enemy territory, and he knew not if the hawks would take his approach well. But that thought soon left his mind when he started to feel the fatiguing effects of his long flight to the hawk's stronghold, and realized he had to land before his wings gave out.

He spotted a nice flat area with some soft vegetation about a half mile from the hall on another mountain, and glided over to it. He sat down and relaxed his wings while he pulled out a water-skin made from the hides of various prey animals, and took a few gulps of water. Letting out a sigh of relief, he sat around, keeping an eye out for any Phoenicis hawks coming his way.

Sure enough, he spotted a pair of them coming right in his direction within a few minutes of his landing. Luckily, he felt that his wings were relaxed enough to fly again, but he decided to stay put, rather than get away. That would only make the hawks fear that he was trying to spy on them. The two hawks that came near him were Janaff and Ulki, and alighted on the ledge as well.

"Hey, kiddo, what do you think you're doing here?" Janaff quipped. "You're one of the owls, I take it. If Ulki had been on patrol, he wouldn't have been able to hear you coming, thanks to those silent wings of yours."

"You…spotted me?" Beeker exclaimed.

"I distinguish eye color from four thousand beorc paces!" Janaff boasted. "I saw you coming before you even came within ten miles of Phoenicis Hall."

"No need for bragging, Janaff," Ulki said to his fellow hawk. "Now, we would like to know what you are doing here, and do not make excuses. Your kind already has us hawks on edge."

"I have come on behalf of Prince Janus to negotiate the release of his sister, and my dear friend as well. I MUST speak with King Tibarn." Janaff and Ulki looked at each other, looked back at Beeker, and then turned to fly off again. Janaff looked back and beckoned the young owl onward. The snowy-winged owl took a deep breath and followed the two hawks.

* * *

Of course, none of the Greil Mercenaries knew of Beeker's coming. They were occupied with their own matters. In a courtyard elsewhere in Phoenicis Hall, Ike and Mia were stretching themselves before a duel. The courtyard was covered by a roof, which was held up by twelve smooth columns, arranged in a somewhat haphazard fashion. It was otherwise bare, needing only the beauty of the view to make it an appealing place to stay in.

"It's the first time we've dueled since we left the retreat, Mia," Ike quipped as he performed a few lunges to stretch his leg muscles. "I hope you haven't lost your touch!"

"No way, Boss!" Mia called back, since she was at the opposite side of the room. "I practiced every day! Today, I'll show you who's the better sword…um…user…person! You know what I mean!"

"Please go easy on her," Mist said to Ike as she clutched a Recover staff. "I'm still kind of worn out after treating that little girl's mangled elbow. I dunno if I'll be able to use this staff."

"She'll be fine. I'm not about to put one of my own team out of commission," Ike reassured her.

"Hey, Boss!" Mia yelled as she drew Alondite. "I'm all stretched! Are you done?"

"Yeah, I'm good!" Ike yelled back as he readied Ragnell. Mist, knowing how wild the duels between Ike and Mia could get, put as much distance between her and the two duelists as she could.

"Say, how about we try something different?" Mia called back. "We always fight to first blood! Let's kick it up a notch…we fight until one of us gives up or gets knocked out!" Ike paused, now concerned at what could happen. He knew that Mia was not one to give up easily. Would she be so foolish as to let herself bleed to death before she gave up?

"…Readysetgo!" Mia yelled as Ike considered this. Before he fully realized it, the Trueblade had started her assault. As she rushed toward him, she unleashed two waves of combat energy along the ground with two swings of her blade, an ability that Ragnell and Alondite both had. The commander managed to dodge the first wave, but winced as the second one landed squarely on his leg. Ike's natural fortitude reduced the effectiveness of the blow.

"Ha! I got ya!" Mia giggled as she closed the distance between them. Ike was ready for her next set of attacks, and dodged them. He countered by doing a backward somersault and launching a wave of combat energy at Mia. She deftly sidestepped this and rushed at Ike again, unleashing another wave of energy as she ran. Ike rolled away from it, only to find himself on the receiving end of a direct slashing attack from Mia that landed squarely on Ike's chest. The attack left a large, but shallow cut, not quite enough to draw blood. After this attack, Mia took a few hops backward. A blow like that would have cleft a lesser man in two, but both still retained Yune's blessing, and would not die so easily.

"Hey, that's no fair!" Ike complained with a laugh. "You got a head-start! Duels don't work that way!" Mia simply responded by childishly stick her tongue out at him before unleashing another pair of energy waves, both of which Ike jumped over. Ike barely managed to land in time to parry another attack by his opponent. This time Ike was able to deliver a counterattack, slashing Mia along her flank. Unlike Ike, Mia was much more delicate, and this blow sent her reeling.

"That's the problem with you myrmidon-types, Mia," Ike chuckled as Mia got up. "You rely too much on speed to avoid attacks…it's just that sooner or later they get you, and you don't have any armor to protect you! It doesn't help you anymore than that I was taught by…"

"Yeah, yeah, I know…the greatest swordsman who ever lived, General Gawain!" Mia groaned as she got up. "I'll still beat you anyway! Just gimme a minute to heal myself…now where did I put that…" But she didn't have time to pull out her vulnerary before Ike was on her again. The two sword wielders clashed blades repeatedly, the sounds of the battle ringing through the hall.

Suddenly, Mia noticed something about Ike's movements. His swings were a bit wide, and there was no armor to protect his sword arm. Mia, with a new strategy in mind, dodged one of Ike's attacks, then quickly rolled past him, sprung back up and delivered a powerful slice, this time cutting through Ike's shoulder, breaking one of the tendons there, before landing gracefully on two feet. The shock of this blow caused him to drop Ragnell, and stumble backwards a bit. Mist yelped in fear as her brother stood there, his sword arm hanging limply.

"D-damn it…looks like I have to give up." Ike panted. "I'm in no condition to keep fighting." Mia's expression turned to sheer ecstasy, and she whooped with joy as Mist raced over to aid her injured brother.

"I did it! I did it! I beat Ike! Yessssssssssss!" she cheered.

"Great job…and I wasn't holding back this time either…" Ike replied. "I may be stronger, but it looks like power isn't enough." He smiled at her, and she smiled back. Ragnell and Alondite shined brighter than normal for a moment…

* * *

**Author's Note**: I actually did some informal calculations on how Ike and Mia's duel might go. Assuming that Mia has the Parity skill (which negates support bonuses, terrain bonuses and such), both had their stats maxed, and biorhythm for both was neutral, Mia would have a 91 chance to hit, deal 6 damage, and have a 15 chance to get a critical hit (which deals triple damage!). Ike would have a 75 chance to hit, deal 25 damage, and have a 0 chance to deal a critical hit. So while Mia has a better chance to dodge and hit Ike, he could drop her in two hits, while it would take 9 regular hits or 3 critical hits for Mia to drop Ike. I threw in the severed tendon bit to make things a bit more interesting, and so that Mia would win.


	8. Chapter 8: An Owl's Conviction

Hey thar, readers. I've been strongly considering give this a rewrite after I finish it. It's been pointed out to me that this fic is moving a bit too fast, and I do agree. The next version of this one will have more content, and probably some elaboration on relationships I've been meaning to do. I'm also going to drop the beginning of the storyline I was planning on doing involving Makalov and Astrid, as I haven't even touched that one. Consider this one a first draft of sorts. I promise the next version will be much better. Anyway, onward with the show.

* * *

**Chapter 8 - An Owl's Conviction**

Had Janus been lying to her about humans? Nadja knew she was part-human, but Janus had always taught her that humans were all liars, tricksters and monsters. But the human who treated her was so kind. She handled her wounded arm as if it was the most fragile of objects, and the large stick, which she learned was called a staff, emitted soothing warmth when she held it to her arm. Afterwards, she could move her arm a little, but the kind human told her to stay in bed for a little while and let it fully heal.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she noticed two others enter the room. One of them was the white-robed, raven-haired magic-user from before, but the second she didn't recognize. The other was much younger, probably a little younger than she was, with messy and dirty blonde hair, wearing some clothing the hawks usually wore, most likely as a loan of sorts until new ones could be made.

"She's a mistake, too, Soren?" the boy asked the mage.

"If that's what you call all that are like us, then yes," the mage, obviously named Soren, replied. The boy rushed up to Nadja and sat on her bed, with a big smile on his face.

"Hi!" he said cheerfully, in a way that completely disguised how miserable he was less than a month ago. "I'm Pollack!" Nadja was astonished by this brazen approach, and remained silent. Soren followed close behind, and sat down on the chair next to her.

"He's just happy to meet another one like him," Soren replied. "I suppose I am too."

"Y-you're…p-part laguz too?" Nadja finally stammered. Soren nodded in response."But I thought all humans hated us," she continued. "The other ones are so nice!"

"Ike and the others are exceptions, I suppose," the mage said as he lazily flipped the pages of a small book he was carrying before clarifying something. "…Oh, Ike's the big guy with blue hair. He's a very good person, and very powerful too."

"The human who healed me talked about him. She was very nice too."

"Oh, that was Mist," Pollack chimed in. "She's nice to everybody!"

"Tell us about your family," Soren then asked, closing the book. Nadja looked at him confusedly for a moment. Was he referring to her birth parents, who she knew nothing about, or the owls she lived with for much of her life? Realizing what Soren might be after, she went on the defensive.

"Ninety-eight thousand," she blurted out.

"Don't start that," the mage groaned, his hand now grasping his forehead in mild frustration.

"Pay me and I'll tell you," the thief replied. Pollack couldn't help but giggle at this.

* * *

Beeker couldn't help but be terrified of all the guards standing around leering at him as Janaff and Ulki led him to where the king was. The vaulted ceilings of Phoenicis Hall were vast and grand, putting the simple but elegant home of Prince Janus to shame. His attention was snapped back toward the two hawks when Janaff called out to someone else.

"Your Majesty, we've brought the owl who wishes to speak with you here," the hawk king's eyes called out. Ulki nudged Beeker toward Tibarn, who was leaning against a free-standing pillar, with King Lorazieh and Rafiel sitting on stools. Beeker was completely paralyzed with anxiety. Not only did he have to explain his case to the king of hawks, but to heron royalty as well. Beeker dreaded what would happen if he messed up. Finally, the owl laguz started toward the trio of royals and when he reached them, he stood stock still, preferring to avoid saying anything rash. Tibarn, after a few moments, started the talk.

"Well, looks like Janaff wasn't kidding when he said that Janus was desperate. He sends another kid to me." While Tibarn seemed to have no clue who Beeker was, Lorazieh did, and stood up and started addressing the owl in the modern tongue with some excitement in his voice.

"…Beeker? Oh, you are alive! I thought you had perished in the massacre!"

"You know this child, father?" Rafiel asked. "He does look familiar at first glance, but I'm not sure if you have the right person."

"Leanne and Lillia adored you so, little Beeker," Lorazieh continued, stroking the owl's dark locks. "Oh, how pleased Leanne will be to know that you're alive."

"Please, Your Majesty, I must speak with Tibarn," the owl replied, gently pushing the heron king's hand away. The heron backed off a bit and nodded a bit uneasily, wishing to speak more with Beeker. With Lorazieh now out of his hair, Beeker turned to Tibarn.

"Tibarn, great king of hawks…as you might already know, I have been sent by Prince Janus to bargain for the release of his dear sister, Nadja, whom I care about greatly as well…but at the same time, he also demands reconciliation."

"…Reconciliation?" Tibarn exclaimed with disgust. "The owls have raided Phoenician homes and ruined their livelihoods, and now seek to war with us! Who are you to ask for us to reconcile you?"

"We ask for reconciliation for the persecution and enslavement my tribe has suffered while under hawk rule…please do not tell me you have forgotten!"

"Tibarn," Rafiel exclaimed. "Surely this owl does not jest about so serious a matter. Were owls truly enslaved by hawks in the past?"

"N-no, o-of course not!" the hawk king stammered. "It's probably some lie spread by that lout Janus to rile his people to attack us!" But Tibarn, being in the presence of two herons, knew that his denial wouldn't even fool a child. Finally he threw up his hands in defeat.

"Okay, yes. The owl tribe was, for a time, enslaved by the hawks. But that ended when I came to the throne!"

"But even after that," Beeker replied, a strong resolve building in him, "members of your tribe persecuted mine and whittled down the owl population to a paltry few! The only reason your tribe stopped was because they were too busy moaning over the herons, and then involving yourselves in two wars, one of which turned much of my people to stone! Only Janus and I were free from the goddess' judgment!"

"That wasn't my fault!" the hawk king roared back. "Listen kid…"

"Enough!" Lorazieh cried out in a surprisingly powerful voice. "Tibarn, Beeker is in the right."

"Yes," Rafiel said in agreement. "You, like Sanaki did during the Mad King's War for us herons, must apologize, on behalf of your tribe, for the wrongs inflicted upon them." Beeker was astonished at how quickly the herons took his side. Despite hearing that Tibarn had protected them for two decades, their sense of justice had not been blinded.

"But my people would never agree to that!" the hawk king replied angrily. "They would think me weak, bowing down to the owl tribe, which has been ruining their lives as of late!"

"And unless you apologize," Rafiel continued. "The raids will continue or there will be all-out war. Besides, don't you WANT peace with the owls?"

"Yes…but…fine. In exchange for hostilities to end, I will safely return the prince's sister AND formally apologize for the crimes of my people against the owls." Beeker bowed several times in a rapid fashion, so excited was he.

"Thank you, King Tibarn! Thank you!" the owl said excitedly.

"Don't you wish to see your friend?" Rafiel asked. "Nadja is in the infirmary. I'm sure she'll be happy to see you."

"Oh, yes!" Beeker exclaimed. "I hope she's okay."

* * *

"The whole plan is falling apart," Savato growled as he stood before a hunched, cloaked figure in the midst of the deepest part of the forest. "Janus must have caught on. You told me that he would instantly declare war if his sister was captured! Even now, his soft-hearted lackey Beeker is probably negotiating with Tibarn for the girl's release. I bet he's licking the soles of the hawk king's shoes as we speak." The figure chuckled at this image, but was silent again as if in thought. Finally, the figure snapped his fingers as an idea came to him.

"Fear not, my dear Savato," the figure answered. "I have found a way for you to get what you desire." He handed him a vial of clear liquid that smelled quite awful.

"Once the prince drinks this, he will be of no worry to you."

"Excellent," the owl replied as he examined the vial.

But unbeknownst to the two schemers, Volke's ears took in the whole conversation. He had, up until now, been perfectly quiet. But when the assassin let out a small gasp of astonishment, Savato's keen hearing somehow picked it up.

"I think we are being spied on, my friend," the owl chuckled.

"Let me take care of him," the figure replied.

"…In what way?" the corrupt owl asked. The figure merely snapped his fingers. A pair of glowing red eyes appeared a foot above the figure's head. Savato stepped back as a gigantic hawk laguz, at least one-and-a-half times the size of Tibarn's hawk form, its feathers and beak both pitch-black, stepped out into the dim light and let out a piercing screech.

"Let's have a test of that thing's power, shall we?" The figure grinned in the darkness, and extended a gnarled hand, pointing in the direction of the sound, and in a flash, the massive hawk started after Volke, its crimson eyes locked on target. In response, the assassin broke into a full run, attempting to evade his pursuer.

But as fleet-footed as he was, there was no escape. As Savato watched Volke struggle, he let out a sinister laugh. Soon, all of the bird tribes would bow to him.

* * *

Nadja, though she was quite happy to see Beeker after he negotiated with Tibarn for her release, winced at every word of his rant at her foolishness, and how he and Janus were worried sick about her. Though it only lasted a few minutes, the rant seemed to last forever for a girl who was still bedridden and tired. Finally, he slumped down on a nearby stool, his throat slightly sore.

"Beeker, are you going to take me home?" she asked him as she finally sat up. To her surprise, the owl shook his head to deny that request.

"No. I think you'll be safer here," he replied. "I don't want Savato to hurt you."

"Savato?" she inquired innocently. "You mean my brother's other advisor?"

"Yes. I'm absolutely sure he's plotting something, and it may go into action soon."

"A plot, huh?" the voice of Ike came from the door. This sudden interruption caught both Beeker and Nadja off guard. The mercenary leader's shoulder was wrapped in a bandage, a testament to his recent loss to Mia.

"Um…who are you?" Beeker asked nervously.

"My name's Ike. My team of mercenaries and I were hired by Tibarn in case the hawks and owls did go to war. I couldn't help but overhear your little conversation. It sounds like this Savato character is really the mastermind behind all this, eh?"

"Why would a HUMAN like you care?" Beeker replied, suddenly speaking with great disdain and not giving eye contact to the beorc. "You're just a mercenary, fighting other people's battles for your own profit! You probably want this war as much as he does!"

"You're right. I do fight other people's battles," Ike answered thoughtfully. "But sometimes they can't do it themselves, even if they wanted to. Personally, I don't think anyone in their right mind likes war." The owl gave a brief sideward glance before turning back toward Nadja. "Is this another issue you owls have with the hawks?" Ike continued. "They associate with my kind?"

"You humans are responsible for the burning of Serenes Forest," Beeker growled. "The other bird tribes may have forgiven you, but we owls…" with that, he spun around and let out a loud screech: in the span of a few moments, Beeker had shifted to his animal form: a large, snow-white owl.

"Beeker, please stop it!" Nadja cried out, reaching out helplessly. But the owl laguz's ears were deaf to her cries. His mind was set on tearing Ike's face off. Of course, even with his injury, Ike wasn't afraid. He always kept Ragnell close by as a force of habit, and now drew the holy blade, now using both hands to compensate for his injured sword arm.

"Sorry, kid…you're no match for me, especially in these confined quarters," the mercenary leader declared as he pointed the tip at the now hovering Beeker. "Tibarn said you were such a nice kid, too." Beeker screeched and lunged at Ike, who easily sidestepped the attack. Mist and Tibarn both told Ike that this owl, whom he learned was called Beeker, was a cherished friend of both Nadja and the herons.

The owl wheeled around and lunged again, this time missing due to Ike leaping backwards. This happened four more times, each lunge more vicious than the last. On the fifth attempt, Ike miscalculated the timing of Beeker's attack, and thus the owl's talons grabbed hold of Ike's neck, and began to slowly dig into his flesh.

But this commotion did not go unheeded. Rolf was the first to hear the sounds of the fight and rushed to the scene, arriving just as Beeker was beginning to choke the hero of Tellius. Rolf, with an arrow already nocked onto the bow's string, took quick aim and fired at the owl. The arrow struck Beeker's spine, causing him to release Ike and fall to the ground. Without the energy to remain in animal form, Beeker shifted back to his humanesque shape. The mercenary gasped for breath and staggered back a bit.

"Are you okay, Ike?" Rolf asked. "I heard some noise and found you being attacked this owl."

"…Beeker!" Nadja cried out and rushed over to the limp owl and tried to help him up, tears streaming down her face as she struggled to hold him up with her own injured limb.

"Uh-oh…did I mess up?" the young archer said with a nervous gulp.

"You did save my life," Ike answered sternly as he massaged his neck. "But you just shot an arrow into the spine of the owl that may have stopped this war. Find Mist and get her in here now. She has another life to save." Rolf nodded, and then gave a forlorn glance toward the sobbing Nadja before running off to find Mist.


End file.
